First stone crab shipment at Star Fish Co. Market & Restaurant bodes well for rest of season

CORTEZ -- Stone crabs began arriving by boat Thursday at noon to fill diners' plates and the first day, the hauls offered a promising forecast for the rest of the season.

Karen Bell, owner of Star Fish Co. Market & Restaurant, said her first shipment of stone crabs came in Thursday at noon with a 90-pound load and a second, smaller boat came in with 60 pounds. She has five other larger boats she's expecting back later tonight.

She was hoping the larger boats return with around 500 pounds.

"It's better than last year," Bell said. "It's a good sign."

Stone crab prices are expected to remain high because of higher demand and lower supply.

According to last year's stone crab catch data collected at independent monitoring stations by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, between 100 and 200 crabs were caught at the Tampa Bay FWC station in the first five months of stone crab season, which runs until May 2015. The sampling trips conducted by FWC are not representative of all crabbers everywhere but provide information reflective of stone crab habits and trends.

Adam Ellis, owner of Blue Marlin Grill, said fewer catches earlier in the season is the typical pattern. As winds become rougher, stone crabs move in closer to muddier waters where traps are often laid.

Between February and May last year, FWC saw between 200 and 300 crabs caught at the Tampa Bay station.

Research scientist Ryan Gandy works for FWC's research arm, the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, said typically 20 percent of stone crabs harvested in Florida are found from the shores between Lee County and Pinellas County."

Janelle O'Dea, business reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7095 or follow her on Twitter

This story was originally published October 15, 2015 at 3:57 PM with the headline "First stone crab shipment at Star Fish Co. Market & Restaurant bodes well for rest of season ."